Chapter 24

Chen Lüli walked into the restaurant.

Hearing her agree with Jiang Yingshan, he was almost so angry he laughed again. He had guessed she wouldn't dare say it, but hadn't expected her to be this afraid. He sat down and took a sip of the fruit tea, which had already gone cold.

Ming Yu frowned.

Jiang Zao hurried over and linked arms with Lin Yu. "What were you talking about Li Yin for? What's he up to now?"

Lin Yu lowered her eyes. "He still works at Yousitu. His mother brought my mom a gift and treated her to morning tea to apologize."

Jiang Zao shook her head. "Shameless, absolutely shameless. Your mom didn't accept the gift, did she?"

"No. She returned it to her."

"That's right. They're lucky we didn't go make a scene on their doorstep. Good thing you weren't together long and cut your losses in time."

Ming Yu looked at Lin Yu and asked, "Has Chen Lüli taken any measures? What did he think when you talked about it?"

Lin Yu looked at Ming Yu.

Ming Yu was truly radiant. Lin Yu pressed her lips together and said, "He was just asking. He went with me to East City that day, when we found Li Yin and that boss of his..."

Ming Yu remembered Lin Yu's recent Moments posts. She and her boyfriend, Li Yin, really had been stuck together like glue, only to break up so suddenly because he cheated.

She must have been hurt by it.

Ming Yu swept back her curls. "Yuyu, you were lucky too. Jiang Yingshan said he saw them at the hotel and told Chen Lüli, who then took you to East City to see for yourself."

Lin Yu nodded and said softly, "I was lucky."

If they hadn't found out, she might have listened to Li Yin's explanation, believed him, and continued dating him. She would never have known about that night, either, as if the water had passed without leaving a trace.

"Come on, let's not think about it anymore." Jiang Zao tapped the tip of Lin Yu's nose and went inside arm in arm with her. "We've all finished eating. Let's chat for a while and then head home."

The three of them returned to the restaurant.

Chen Lüli picked up his coat, while Jiang Yingshan put his on. The two men headed out, and Jiang Zao asked in surprise, "You're leaving?"

"We still have to work overtime," Jiang Yingshan said with a smile. "Young ladies, we only took some time out to have a meal with you."

Jiang Zao clicked her tongue. "Who exactly was keeping whom company over dinner?"

Jiang Yingshan smiled. "Of course we were keeping you company. Doesn't that make you sound more important?"

"That's true." Jiang Zao nodded.

Ming Yu let go of Lin Yu and said to Chen Lüli, "I'll come take a look at your newly expanded company."

Chen Lüli had been noncommittal at first, but something seemed to occur to him. His gaze brushed over Lin Yu before he turned and said coolly to Ming Yu, "There's nothing much to see, and we don't have time to receive you. Come with Lin Yu and the others another time when we're free."

Here it is.

Another 100 red packets for this chapter. See you tomorrow.

Chapter 24

Ming Yu froze. "Are you really that busy?"

Jiang Yingshan smiled. "Young lady, we're releasing a new game even over the New Year. How could we not be busy? Tonight it's just a bunch of men, some of whom haven't been home in days and reek of smoke. Are you coming to breathe their secondhand smoke?"

Ming Yu folded her arms without speaking and rolled her eyes at Jiang Yingshan.

Chen Lüli had already pushed through the door first. Jiang Yingshan hurried after him, and the two tall figures stepped into the cold wind and headed toward the two connected buildings of Genesis Tower. The old district stood in stark contrast to the financial and commercial districts over there, yet amid the chill of steel and concrete, it had a touch of warmth and everyday life. Though divided, they blended together.

"They've gone. Should we chat a little longer, or...?" Jiang Zao asked Ming Yu. Ming Yu looked away from outside and glanced at Lin Yu, who was taking a delivery call by the counter. It was from an advertising company in Genesis Tower, calling the shop directly. Her voice was soft and attentive as she turned to sort through the bread remaining in the display case, while Xiao Cao bagged it beside her.

Ming Yu was quiet for a few seconds, then said, "Let's not. Let's head home."

"Sure. I'll walk you to your car. I still want to ask you more about Li Yin." Jiang Zao fetched Ming Yu's coat and little bag. The bag was an Hermès Mini Kelly, and it went well with her coat tonight. Jiang Zao pushed open the door. The wind outside was bitterly cold. She said to Lin Yu, "I'm walking Ming Yu to her car."

Still on the phone, Lin Yu covered the receiver and smiled at them. "Okay. Drive carefully, Ming Yu."

Ming Yu glanced at Lin Yu and nodded.

Her car was parked in a community parking lot across the street. Parking wasn't cheap, mainly because they charged whatever they liked, but that amount was no issue at all for Ming Yu.

Jiang Zao's car was parked there too, and she watched the Porsche drive away.

Jiang Zao breathed a sigh of relief, crossed the street, and pushed her way into the warm bakery. She strode up opposite Lin Yu and blinked at her.

Lin Yu and Xiao Cao were packing bread. It was late, so they were sending some of the remaining bread along to the advertising company's customers as a free gift.

There was some more left to pack up and give to the sanitation workers.

Seeing Jiang Zao opposite her, Lin Yu blinked. "What is it?"

Jiang Zao looked at Lin Yu, whose features seemed to have been given a soft glow by the gentle light. The scene by the flower wall came back to her. She had sharp eyes. Did Chen Lüli need to stand that close just to talk? Would someone as aloof as him take the initiative to corner someone against a wall?

That alone was strange.

Jiang Zao smiled and blinked. "Yuyu, you weren't just talking about Li Yin, were you?"

Lin Yu froze and looked up, placing the last piece of bread on the tray. She saw Jiang Zao blink and pressed her lips together. It was complicated and hard to explain to Jiang Zao, at least for now. Her lashes fluttered. "We were mainly talking about Li Yin..."

It had started with Li Yin, so it was about Li Yin.

Jiang Zao leaned closer to the display case, resting a hand on the sliding glass door. She fixed her eyes on Lin Yu and said, "Yuyu, you should know that I'll always support you."

Lin Yu was slightly taken aback. She looked at Jiang Zao's smiling face and was quiet for a few seconds before blinking and smiling. "Mm, I know."

Jiang Zao beamed back.

She said, "I used to think..."

She didn't finish.

She looked at Lin Yu again.

If Chen Lüli was with Yuyu...

They would make a good match too.

Besides, they were both single. It was just Chen Lüli's personality... But he was still so much better than Li Yin. At least he really was hard to pursue. Perhaps it was because he was cold and difficult, but he hardly spared other women a glance. As for Ming Yu, she had mainly been abroad for too long, and many of their memories dated back to high school.

Jiang Zao had always instinctively thought that only Ming Yu could handle a wolf on a lofty peak like Chen Lüli. But what if he liked someone himself and took the initiative?

And looking at Lin Yu again, who wouldn't like such a gentle beauty?

At least he had good taste.

"Jiang Zao?" Lin Yu called softly.

Jiang Zao came back to herself and spotted the sea salt cheese bread in Lin Yu's hand. "I want one of those. And could you ask Lian Kai to make me a coffee? I have to livestream for two hours starting at midnight."

Lin Yu smiled. "Okay."

She asked Xiao Cao for a takeaway bag and turned to nod at Lian Kai. Wearing a mask, Lian Kai acknowledged her and went to make the coffee.

Once the coffee and bread were packed, it was time for Jiang Zao to leave. She put on her coat, picked up the two items, and hugged Lin Yu. Lin Yu patted her shoulder. "Take care on the way."

"Will do."

Jiang Zao pushed through the door and raced toward the parking lot across the street, carrying her things, her figure swift as the wind.

Lin Yu watched for a few seconds and smiled, then turned back to the counter to settle the accounts. The manager was already tapping away on a calculator. He handed Lin Yu a phone and said, "President Chen paid for dinner tonight."

Lin Yu took the phone and looked.

He had paid a round sum.

It was more than the meal cost.

The manager asked, "What should we do with the extra?"

Lin Yu put down the phone and said to him, "Keep a separate account of it and apply it to Star Rise's next order."

"Okay," the manager said.

Lin Yu looked at the bill again.

Jiang Zao had also secretly paid for the bread and coffee. Lin Yu felt helpless, but couldn't be bothered to return the money. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of these things between friends.

Sometimes he paid, sometimes she paid. They let things take their course and did what felt right.

There were hardly any customers at this hour. Lin Yu took Xiao Cao into the garden to tidy up some fallen leaves and petals. Xiao Li and the manager cleaned the shop, while Lian Kai tidied the counter. The head chef finished his work and went home. When Lin Yu and Xiao Cao came back out and closed the garden door, the shop was nearly clean too.

Xiao Li washed several pairs of bread tongs and trays, dried them, and set them upside down.

Lin Yu checked the inventory and told them to go home first.

She saved the records, picked up her coat, and left as well. Once the lights went out, only shadows cast by headlights and streetlights flickered past. The shops on either side had also turned off their lights, leaving only the traffic in the middle and the headlights racing by.

Lin Yu pulled her coat around her and went home.

She took off her coat and put the small gift bag on the table.

Lin Yu showered first. After coming out and drying her hair, she finally picked up the gift bag and opened it. She didn't have to look to know that the gift inside was expensive.

She took out a small notebook and made a note to give Ming Yu a gift in return next time.

She dried her hair.

Feeling tired, Lin Yu sprawled on the sofa, but didn't close her eyes. She gazed at the corner of the sofa, where a beige blanket hung down, its edge softly blurred.

Just then, her phone rang.

Lin Yu reached over for it. The three characters of Chen Lüli's name were flashing on the screen, and it was a video call. Her heart skipped a beat, and she was just about to turn the phone face down.

He hung up.

Then he sent one word: Answer.

Another video call followed. Lin Yu pressed her lips together and answered, but all she saw was his Adam's apple and the collar of his shirt. She froze.

Then a hand turned the phone, finally showing his face in profile. He glanced at the camera.

Their eyes met. Lin Yu's long hair lay across her arm, and the light made her eyes look like water. Chen Lüli gazed quietly at her for a few seconds.